Plants provide the greatest example of teaching us how to live peacefully with one another. They require very little in order to thrive. As long as they are in the right place where they are provided with healthy soil, with the right amount of light, water, and nutrients, they fulfill their existence perfectly. They accept whatever comes their way, whether it is wind, rain, snow, ice, birds, insects, or even mammals.
I have three Christmas cactus of three different shades – the original coral red, white, and yellow. When I was living in a tiny, dark apartment, with only one west window, they drooped and refused to bloom. The red one, which I have had for 12 years, would always begin blooming in November; but they simply refused to bloom when I could not give them sufficient light. Now they have three large windows from which they receive indirect light all day long. It is long past the proper time for them to bloom; however, all three are now bursting with buds. Plants know intuitively that they need to grow, flower, and produce seed within a limited space of time. I marvel at plants in my late summer garden that will flower when they are still quite small because they ultimately know that they must produce the seed before winter.
It is no different for birds and animals in the wild. They waste no time once spring has arrived in finding a mate and producing young to ensure the survival of their species. The flurry of birds as they build their nests and raise their young is a beautiful thing to witness. All the while, the trees and plants, while doing what they were designed to do, also offer food and shelter for numerous other species. The plants and the animals and birds live in symbiotic harmony. We can learn so much from them when we take the time to observe and appreciate them. The natural world can serve as a mentor for us in creating the peace that we need in our human world.
